It is late evening and I have just arrived home after my birthday weekend trip to London. I went to see Phantom of the Opera and it was spectacular! I loved everything about the show and I'm so glad I waited until it had been refreshed, modernized and brought up to date in terms of special effects etc, rather than seeing it several years ago, amid all the hype.
It was a stunning production, so ghostly and atmospheric. The sets were amazing - staircases, gilded opera boxes, a moving bridge, the golden mirror and of course, the chandelier! When the chandelier fell the entire audience gasped and squealed because it was so realistic. I loved the gondola scene, when the Phantom takes Christine down into his underground lair. The stage was full of mist, so the boat looked like it was floating on water as it moved around the boards and there were lots of real candles, flickering and floating on the 'water'. I don't know how they did it, but the effect was amazing. Apparently they use 180 candles in every single performance. The effect is mesmerizing!
I was completely transfixed for the duration of the musical and I couldn't take my eyes off the stage. I had recieved the film of Phantom for my birthday last year and I knew then that I wanted to go and see it at the theatre, so I was thrilled to get tickets back in the summer. A theatre trip to London wasn't nearly so expensive as I had been led to believe by some, but there are always those individuals who like to try and inflate the value of something in order to make others feel that it is beyond their budget. It's a twisted form of self-perceived elitism I suppose, but in my experience a Disney event is more expensive than Phantom was, and I've been to several of those!
Her Majesty's Theatre in London is just beautiful. It reminded me of the Lyceum in Sheffield city center as it has the same sort of charm, with painted frescoes on the ceiling and Grecian busts on the walls. Finding our way to the theatre was tricky however, as we don't know London at all and everyone we asked for directions turned out to be foreigners, so they couldn't help. Eventually we asked the security guard in a branch of Tesco's and he pointed us in the right direction. We had to walk through Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square on a busy Saturday night, but we made it to the theatre eventually. The Christmas lights had been switched on the night before our arrival, so the city looked beautiful, but it was extremely crowded - the kind of crowds where you can't see your way ahead, but just have to hang on to your companion so as not to get separated and edge your way through. I don't like crowded places so that was pretty stressful.
This is the third time I've been to the capital and I have to be honest - I really don't like London. It's too big, busy and obnoxious. It's so noisy too. The emergency sirens are the loudest ones I've ever heard in my life, but they have to be because when the traffic is gridlocked, which appears to be the norm, drivers just sit there blaring their horns at the world - like that's going to help! It's a total culture shock, as in Yorkshire we can strike up a conversation with a random stranger in the post office and we often smile and say hello to people who are clearly just visiting the area. Not so in London. It puts things into perspective with the Londoners I've met over the years - now I know why they are always super stressed and constantly switched on all the time. It's because they've had to be! We were advised to wear our handbags underneath our coats due to pick-pockets and moped muggers, for the bikes don't stick to traffic lanes, but weave in and out, on and off pavements, so you can't tell if its a mugger or a courier! I could never spend longer than a weekend in the capital. Give me Yorkshire or Scotland over London on any day of the week!
Having said that, there is one place that I absolutely fell in love with and that was The Brasserie of Light in Selfridges. I have wanted to go there for years, ever since I discovered that it is the place which inspired Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite tour and album. Apparently, she was having lunch there with her creative director, Will, and inspired by her beautiful surroundings, she came up with the concept of Aphrodite Les Foiles - my favourite Kylie concert.
So I knew I wanted to go there one day. Luckily, when I Googled it to see if it was close, we were standing on Oxford Street and had just walked past Selfridges where it is located, so we turned back and went into the department store. Selfridges itself is very impressive. It's huge and you could easily spend a whole day there, shopping, eating and drinking. It was like three Meadowhall Centers, stacked on top of each other. It really is that big! But it is lovely and the staff there are friendly and kind.
Up we went to The Brasserie of Light, on the first floor. We didn't realize you had to book ahead, but when we asked if we could just go in for a birthday cocktail, the maitre d' gave us a very warm welcome and immediately made room for us at the busy bar, pulling out the heavy bar stools for us to climb onto and handing us a cocktail menu. Looking at the menu it was clear to see Kylie's inspiration - the menu was in her songs, her songs are in the menu and you can see the link between the restaurant and her Aphrodite era and cocktails such as Pomona, The Unicorn, Hermes Cup etc. We chose The Pegasus and The Passion of Eros cocktails which were delicious, then a few moments later the waitress and maitre d' brought over a little birthday cake for me, complete with a golden candle and a white chocolate Pegasus, on the house! I have never felt more spoilt. It was such a kind thing for them to do and it was totally unexpected. Not only had they made room for us without a reservation, but now they brought me a free birthday cake! And all the while, the sparking Pegasus wall sconces were shining down on me. I felt like a princess!
The Brasserie of Light is the most magical and beautiful bar-restaurant I have ever been in. It really is filled with warm, golden light. There are beveled sun-burst mirrors all over which reflect the light from glowing orbs and tables lamps. Even the bar itself was illuminated with Art Deco style lamps and the wall lights are fashioned into flying horses that glitter with crystals. There is a huge Pegasus hanging from the wall as well, designed by Damien Hirst, and in the entrance was a sparkling elephant, all dressed up in his Santa hat! The drinks are served in cut glass crystal, rather than the bog-standard pub glass-wear you usually get in restaurants and the whole experience is one of luxury, glamour and magic. It's so much more than a drink or a meal - it's an experience! Definitely one of the poshest places I've ever been to and I felt very fortunate to have followed in the footsteps of Kylie, my favourite pop princess. I wish we had a Brasserie of Light in Yorkshire. I would never be away from it! I would love to go back there and reserve a table for one of their afternoon teas. That's a plan for another day.
So all in all, it was a wonderful pre-birthday weekend, with Phantom on Saturday and the Brasserie of Light on Sunday. I came home with some lovely memories, souvenirs and early birthday gifts from the theatre, including a Phantom teddy bear who is all kitted out in cloak and mask! He's adorable. Plus I got a small ornament of the Golden Mirror and a program too. It was a magical weekend and I had such a wonderful time. It was quite exhausting though, so today I'm going to watch my Phantom of the Opera film and Kylie's Aphrodite tour and relax.
BB Marie
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